UsagixMamoru 100 Themed Drabbles
by Sol Y Sombra
Summary: Small moments are the most memorable ones of our lives. Here are some small UsaxMamo moments that may make you laugh, cry, or go 'Awwww' sometimes all at once!
1. Chocolate

Chocolate 

Usagi looked at the box of chocolates, trying to work out who it was from.

'_Usagi,_

_I know how much you love chocolate, so please enjoy this sugary treat!'_

The writing on the card was neat, yet with no fanciness to it. Usagi didn't know anyone with writing like that, but then again, how often do you get the chance to analyse people's writing? She sure never bothered.

She had left the table she was occupying at the arcade to play the Sailor V game, and when she got back the chocolates were sitting on the table. She hadn't noticed anyone go up to the table, but whoever left them must have been there recently, or some greedy-guts would've taken them.

'Motoki!' Usagi called out, walking towards the owner of the arcade, who was situated at the counter, where he could see everything that happened in the arcade. 'You didn't see anyone go over to the table I was sitting at a minute ago, did you?'

Motoki, with a swift glance at a midnight-black-haired figure who also happened to be sitting at the counter, replied 'No, sorry Usagi! Why, was something of yours stolen?'

'No, nothing like that…' Usagi said vaguely. If Motoki hadn't seen it, whoever had left those chocolates must be invisible!! She started looking around to see who it could've been, but the only person there apart from herself and Motoki was… But it couldn't be him, could it? Nah! The only thing Mamoru was likely to give her was a head-ache from thinking up comebacks!

Back at the counter, the black-haired figure sneaked a look at the blonde-haired angel. For a minute, her eyes were locked on his, before she looked away.

Mamoru knew she'd never suspect it was Motoki who'd left her the chocolates. That's why he picked him to do it in the first place. If **he** did it, she would notice him instantly, and that was the last thing he wanted. No, it was better to let her believe it was someone mysterious who she could love, not the one that she loved to hate.


	2. Masks

**2. Masks**

Usagi smiled. The face-mask was cold and tickled as the spa assistant put it on.

'Now hold still or it will crack!' the assistant said as she applied the final dab to Usagi's nose. 'There are massage tables just through that door. Someone will be in soon to give you a massage'.

After Usagi's massage, she drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, she felt refreshed and ready to go. Changing out of the spa robe and into her everyday clothes, Usagi left the spa and headed towards her favourite shopping district. Seemingly out of nowhere appeared a young man with jet-black hair and royal blue eyes.

'Oh, sorry, I didn't… Mamoru! Why don't you watch where you're g…?' She stopped. Mamoru was looking at her strangely. 'What?'

'Oh, nothing, I was just looking at your… wonderful complexion!' Mamoru said, walking away.

'Uh… Thanks…' Usagi replied, dumbfounded. Since when had Mamoru been nice to her?

She hadn't noticed Mamoru suppress a laugh as he made the last comment. Neither did she notice the green goop still covering her face.


	3. Hair

**3. Hair**

Mamoru felt like he could reach out and touch the beautiful princess in front of him, almost feel her pain as the tears cascaded down her angelic face. As she was swept away from him, her long golden hair, in two buns on either side of her head with long locks hanging down her back, whipped in the sudden wind as she reached out for him and, with no prompting from his brain, his arm reached out for her, too. He was just about to grab her hand when…

'Mamoru!! What **are **you doing?' Mamoru snapped out of his daydream. In front of him was another girl with Odango hair, but this one definitely was **not** reaching out to him. 'Get your hand away from mine NOW!'

'Oops! Sorry, Odango. I thought you were someone else…' Mamoru said, comparing the angry teenaged girl in front of him to the golden-haired beauty from his dreams. They had the same hair, the same eyes, the same delicate nose and pink lips, and despite the **very **different expressions they had regarded him with, Mamoru had to admit they bore an uncanny resemblance to each other.

'_That odango-brain? No way she's the one I've been searching for my whole life!!'_

But something deep in his mind kept comparing the look-alikes.

'_What are the odds that there are two people with that funny hairstyle?'_

He was hoping against all odds that he had at last found his princess.


	4. Karma

**4. Karma**

Usagi was sitting at the counter of the arcade, happily eating her usual Super Quadruple Choc Fudge Sundae when Mamoru sauntered up to her, grabbed a spoon from the tray behind the counter and casually started eating all the fudge off the top of Usagi's sundae.

'Mamoru! Why don't you buy your own Super Quadruple Choc Fudge Sundae, rather than stealing mine? Or are you too poor to afford one?'

'No, I just get so much enjoyment out of sharing one with you, Odango!' He replied, only half sarcastically.

As he finished off the last spot of fudge, Usagi brought her mouth to his in a kiss, biting hard into his lower lip as she did so. He tasted like the chocolate fudge he had just finished consuming, and much to her surprise, Usagi found that she was quite enjoying the kiss. Realising the kiss had gone on for too long, even if she did enjoy it, she broke away, pretending she was still mad at Mamoru.

'And **that**'s what they call Karma!'

Even if she didn't mind kissing him, there was no way she was going to share another one of her sundaes with him!


	5. Short Skirt

**5. Short skirt**

Usagi was nervously preparing for a date with Mamoru. Well, it wasn't exactly a date, but now every time she saw him seemed like a special moment she wanted to capture in her heart forever.

Fussing over her odangos, she asked Luna, 'Does my outfit look alright?'

Her outfit consisted of a pink shirt, her brand-new blue mini-skirt and a pair of white sandals.

'Yes, it's fine!' Luna replied. 'Honestly, I don't know why you fuss so much! Mamoru loves you no matter what you're wearing, and besides, it's not like he'll even notice the trouble you went to!'

'I know, Luna, but I just feel the need to sweep him off his feet. Plus, I've been eyeing off this skirt for weeks. It's not as if I bought it **just** for him!'

'Hey Odango!' greeted Mamoru, but with none of the sourness he would have previously reserved for her. Instead, his words wore an air of gentle teasing, and his face lit up in a radiant smile at the sight of her, making her lips itch to do the same.

'Where are we going?'

'How about the park?'

He agreed and they set off, maintaining a comfortable silence the whole way.

At the park, they headed to the gardens.

'Wow! Those roses are so beautiful!' Usagi gushed, pointing to a bed of blood-red blooms. Mamoru just smiled. He had his own reasons for loving those particular flowers, just as he knew Usagi did, too.

He looked up at her colourful clothes, vibrant smile that lit up her whole face like the sun, and those sky blue eyes that melted his heart every time he looked at her, and decided that she was the only flower he would ever need.

'By the way, I love your skirt. You look stunning in it!'

Usagi blushed as Mamoru leaned in, brushing her lips with his.


	6. Blue Eyes

**6. Blue Eyes**

Those blue eyes looking at her were too much to bear.

'Mamoru! Why are you looking at me?'

'Oh. Sorry, Odango. My head was somewhere else…'

'Well now it's time to put it back on your neck and **LOOK AT SOMETHING ELSE**!' Usagi snapped, practically breathing fire over him. If looks could kill, he'd be writing his will by now. No, he'd already be dead and buried.

He withdrew his gaze from her, and stared blankly at the newspaper in front of him instead.

'That was odd!' Usagi muttered to herself. 'Since when does Mamoru get sprung staring at me? And what was that look in his eyes? It couldn't be…longing? No way! Now's **not **the time for daydreaming, Usagi! You've got homework to do!'

Mamoru looked up to see Usagi frowning at a piece of paper in front of her, while scribbling madly over something she had just written. On the page were 20 unsolved maths equations, and Mamoru guessed that they were what Usagi was glaring at. Without a word he picked up a spare pencil.

'Here. It makes more sense if you do it like this…' he said, showing her how to do the first of the equations. While she was busy working out the answer, Mamoru glanced down at whatever she had been scribbling out. He could just make out a figure dressed in a cape with a top hat and mask.

Usagi looked up from her homework, straight into a pair of smiling blue eyes.


	7. Things Left Unsaid

**7. Things left unsaid**

It was a Wednesday morning, and as usual Usagi was late for school. As she rounded the corner of her street she ran full-tilt into none other than the person she had been dreaming about the past few weeks, making her even later than usual as she hungrily held onto her slumber. She desperately wanted to say something to him but how could she describe how her feelings for him had done a complete backflip and were now headed in a direction she didn't even know existed? Especially when she didn't even know how this had happened herself! 'Mamoru…It's…I…Well… Oh, never mind!'

'What's up, Usagi?' Mamoru asked, for once using her real name. Mamoru had never seen her look so serious before.

'Nothing.'

'What were you going to say just then?'

'Oh, nothing, it's just… no, some things are better left unsaid!'

'Alright. Well, Usagi, I have something to tell you too!'

'Really? What is it?' Usagi looked up excitedly. Did he feel the same way about her?

'Oh, it's nothing! It can wait!' Mamoru replied.

Suddenly, Usagi tripped over a branch that had fallen on the path.

'Are you OK?' Mamoru asked with an air of genuine concern.

'I'm fine. Now, what were you going to tell me?' Usagi answered, hoping to catch him off guard.

'I was just going to say…'

'Yes?'

'I was just going to say… That there was a branch on the path!'

'Mamoru! Why didn't you tell me?' Usagi flamed.

'I guess some things are better left unsaid…' Mamoru mused, with a totally straight face,


	8. Kiss

**8. Kiss**

'Wow! It's such a beautiful day!' Usagi said.

'Yes, it's lovely,' Mamoru agreed, applying a thick white liquid to Usagi's nose and gently rubbing it in, 'so you better not forget the sunscreen!'

Usagi and Mamoru had hired a rowboat, and were on the lake at the park around the corner from Usagi's house. The sun was out and shining on the water, and it looked as if they were rowing into the sun itself. The grass in the park was green and there was a slight breeze rustling the leaves of the old willow tree by the lake. It seemed as if all the parents in Tokyo had taken the opportunity to have a day at the park, and the sounds of children's yells and cries of delight could be heard bouncing across the lake to the boat where the couple were sitting. In the bottom of the boat was a picnic lunch, a bag that had contained sunscreen, hats and sunglasses, which was now empty, and two life jackets.

Usagi smiled and let Mamoru rub sunscreen on her face, and then turned around and held her hair up. Obligingly, Mamoru rubbed sunscreen into her exposed back, but first drew the shape of a heart in sunscreen.

'Now it's your turn!' Usagi said, grabbing the bottle of sunscreen. On one of Mamoru's cheeks she drew a heart, on the other a smiley face, and on his forehead she drew a crescent moon.

'There! Now you won't get sunburnt!' Usagi giggled with a smile that lit up her face more than the sun ever could. Mamoru couldn't resist. He leaned in, ready to place a kiss on Usagi's still-smiling mouth. Before he could, however, the movement caused the boat to rock, and then capsize.

After a few seconds, Mamoru surfaced, looking desperately around for Usagi. The lake wasn't very deep, but still…

The first parts of her he saw were two bobbing balls of hair, followed by a head.

'Usagi! Thank God you're alright!'

Mamoru swam over to her, grabbed her around the waist and, seeing the island they were going to have their picnic on, started kicking and paddling one-handed over to it.

When they reached the island, Mamoru picked Usagi up and placed her gently on the grass.

'Mamoru! There was no need for that! I can swim perfectly well on my own!'

'Sorry Usagi, I just panicked when I couldn't see you, and when I saw you come up I was so relieved. I just didn't want to lose you!' he said, almost crushing her in a hug. On her face was that bright smile, and just like before, he leaned in. She wrapped her arms around him, and both dripping water from head to toe, they kissed.


	9. Buttons

**9. Buttons**

Mamoru was in his apartment sewing a button onto a shirt which had lost one while he was at the arcade, when a loud noise startled him, and the contents of his button jar spilled all over the floor. Some rolled under the green sofa he was sitting on, some went under the bookcase, and some even made it as far as the kitchen on the other side of the apartment.

The first place Mamoru collected the stray buttons from was underneath the sofa, requiring him to lift the heavy seat one side at a time, scattering the brown and white cushions (which were previously sitting peacefully on the sofa) on the floor. Sighing, Mamoru picked them up before continuing on his button hunt.

Next he retrieved the buttons from under the bookshelf, which as well as containing all his study book, held photos of himself, Usagi and all his other friends. As soon as he had gathered the runaway buttons from under the bookcase, Mamoru paused for a minute to look at his favourite photo, one of him and Usagi. She had her arms around his waist, with her usual bright smile adorning her face, and he faced the camera with a dreamy look on his face. He could remember clearly what he was thinking about at the time: '_how could such a beautiful girl like her ever want me? How is it possible that I deserve this angel?' _And to this day he hadn't figured it out.

Finally, he moved across to the kitchen area. It was pretty clean, with a fridge, oven and microwave standing by a huge pantry, with a row of cupboards covering the wall. Mamoru kneeled down to pick the buttons off up the floor, just as there came a knock at the door.

'Mamoru? Are you home?' Usagi asked as she let herself in through the open door. Not seeing him, she continued over to the kitchen area.

'Mamor… ow!' she exclaimed as she tripped over her boyfriend, landing across his back as if he were about to lift her up like a sack of potatoes.

'What are you doing on the kitchen floor?' she asked, picking herself up.

'I was picking up buttons. How about you?' He replied.

'I think I just fell for you!' She said, a cheeky grin on her face.


	10. Sweet 16

_Writing (also emphasised words)_

Story narration

**

* * *

**

**10. Sweet Sixteen**

The blank paper mocked Mamoru. He knew what he wanted to write, but how could he get it down in ink? Frustrated, he tapped a pen against his bared teeth. After many painstaking minutes of the face-off, he wrote:

_Reasons Why I Don't Like Tsukino Usagi_

"This list will prove once and for all that I do _not_ like Odango!" Mamoru said, although he knew he was the only one who needed the proof. It's not like he would ever _show_ the list to anyone! They would think he was obsessed! It was all too obvious to everyone else around him what he thought of his odango-haired temptress.

_Her hair looks like two odangoes accidentally got stuck on top of her head_

_She's a cry-baby_

_She's failing all of her classes_

_She eats too much_

_She teases me_

_She's a klutz_

_She steals Motoki's attention_

_She always runs into me_

_She never apologises when she runs into me_

_Instead of apologising, she tells me I should watch where I'm going_

_Her smile makes me want to smile back_

_When she's sad she makes the day seem duller_

_She's not Sailor Moon_

_She's not my Princess_

_She glares at me_

_Every time I see her, my mouth goes on autopilot so that I say things I don't mean_

Embarrassed to have even _thought_ about writing such a list, Mamoru shoved it into his underwear draw. "The only place where I know no-one will accidently stumble upon it" he muttered as he condemned his suspicious list to a lifetime of solitude...

A month later, Mamoru had forgotten all about the list. Digging around in his underwear draw, he couldn't believe that he had run out already! "There has to be a pair in here somewhere!" he said to himself, digging into the back reaches of the drawer.

"Success!" He cried jubilantly, pulling out a pair of blue boxers. But what was the strange solid-feeling item inside them?

Pulling it out, he found he was holding a piece of paper, folded tightly. Frowning, he opened it. It appeard to be...

"An old shopping list? How did that get there?" Mamoru wondered aloud. But the heading said... Reasons I don't like Tsukino Usagi? Interested, Mamoru read on.

After he had finished reading the list, Mamoru realised that there were 16 points written. "Sixteen is the number of sweetness. I cannot allow you to taint it with bitterness!" Embarrassed, Mamoru realised that he had just made a Tuxedo-Kamen-style speech. Interestingly, his Tuxedo Kamen music played, even though he was still in civilian form. "Hey, this music is pretty good!" Mamoru exclaimed, and started dancing to it.

When he was done, he looked back at the paper in his hands. Reflecting on all that had changed in such a short amount of time, Mamoru got out a pen and started correcting the list.

_Reasons I Love Tsukino Usagi..._

Once he was done, Mamoru smiled, thinking "now that _is _a Sweet 16!" 


	11. Past

**Authors note:** Thanks to my Beta reader, MegTao, who has helped me with the past few drabbles, and a special thanks to Ala Verity, who helped me with this drabble and the next one, even though I know she's got a busy schedule. And thanks to anyone who has reviewed with compliments or critiques, it's great to know you were paying attention!

**11. Past**

Usagi lay on the soft, dewy grass, looking at the stars. As she watched them smile down at her from the Heavens, memories from earlier that day sparked into her mind.

_Mamoru had been walking down the street, a distant look on his face. He hadn't noticed Usagi, even when she bumped right into him. He had just smiled, said sorry and kept walking. Curious as to the lack of his usual disdain towards her, Usagi had followed him, all the while debating with herself about her motives for doing so. 'Why should I care if he's finally decided to act like a decent human being? It's none of my business anyway!'_

_Lost in thought, Usagi had failed to notice the plastic water bottle on the path. Slipping on it, she flew through the air, straight towards Mamoru's back. He turned around and looked at her, just in time to open his arms and catch her in a hug. The look on his face had been immediately replaced with concern._

'_Are you okay, Princess?'_

'_I'm fi… W-what did you just call me?' Usagi had regained her own feet, pulling away from Mamoru's embrace._

'_Call you? Did I just say something? I don't remember calling you anything…' Mamoru had replied, not really focused on the conversation._

_A confused expression had clouded his features momentarily. Blinking, he had looked at Usagi as if she was the odd one as his face clea__red. _

_Without another word, he turned and left._

'I wonder why he called me 'Princess'_?'_ Usagi whispered as her vision returned to the present night sky. Right in the middle of the endless black void drifted a brightly glowing crescent moon.

'Did he mean to mock me by calling me that?' she continued, 'like all I do is watch other people pander to my every need so I don't chip a nail? He didn't seem like he was making fun of me…Why did it feel so… natural for him to call me that?_'_

A few streets away, Mamoru was standing on the balcony of his apartment, gazing at the same moon, the same sky, pondering over the same moment as Usagi.

'Is she really the princess I've been looking for? She brings back so many memories of a faraway place and time. Why can't I control what I say around her? It's like I'm not myself whenever she walks my way, but today was a whole new person putting words in my mouth! Why did I call her Princess? And why did it feel so... right?'

As Mamoru and Usagi stared up at the same moon, they were both thinking the same thing: '_What is happening to me?'_


	12. Present

**Authors note:** As always, I would like to thank my Beta reader, MegTao, and Ala Verity. And for everyone who reads my drabbles, thanks so much for staying with me!

'**12. Present**

Usagi woke from the dream with tears in her eyes.

_Serenity walked down the stairs into the ballroom. Below her were hundreds of Lunarian couples smiling, laughing and dancing to the music that drifted from the performance hall next to the ballroom. The men were dressed in black tuxedos, contrasting starkly with the vibrant attire of the ladies, who wore gowns of every imaginable colour. As it was a masquerade ball, men and women alike wore masks of all styles covering their eyes, and sometimes their whole faces. _

_The ballroom itself was decorated for the occasion with streamers, coloured lights and silk table cloths. Beside the staircase Serenity was standing on, the stone banister was also draped with silk, giving the cold, lifeless stone a warm look. The windows were open, revealing a starry night sky. _

Looking up to the Earth's night sky, so much like the one viewed from the Moon, Usagi could almost smell the ladies' perfumes, the food on the tables surrounding the room, and the smell that drifted into every room of the palace. The smell of home.

_As Serenity walked gracefully down the staircase, the chatter of many voices reached her ears. Above all, one voice caught her attention. _

'_May I have this dance?'_

_Smiling, Serenity took the hand of Prince Endymion as he led her out onto the floor. _

Even in her dream, Usagi could feel the happiness radiating from the couple. She knew she was remembering something that had happened many years ago, in the times of the Silver Millennium.

_They danced in perfect time with the rhythm of the music, perfectly attuned to each other. They seemed like two halves of one whole, perfect flower, which in a way they were. She was the beautiful petals, bringing life and colour to the bloom. He was the sturdy stem,__standing perfectly upright to show off the beautiful flower-top. When they were together, they made a breathtaking blossom that managed to look incredibly strong, while still maintaining its stunning beauty.__They both wore smiles that lit up their faces like two shining stars. Everyone around them could see how perfect they were for each other, and stopped to watch the Lunarian princess and Earth prince weave a magic spell over the room._

Usagi sighed. Maybe she had been happy then, but in the present she knew her Prince was as far away from her as her old life on the Moon.


	13. Future

**A/N:** Ok, so instead of having two seperate chapters, one for each 'version' of number 13, I decided to meld them into one chapter, which should be easier for everyone involved. Version one is my first try, which I don't like very much, so I decided to have another go at 'Future', thus Version two was born. Please tell me which one you prefer (I really don't bite hard, so you can be honest!). Thanks!

Oh right. Thanks to Ala Verity, my Beta reader, and MegTao, who may or may not have been my Beta when I wrote Version one... The old A/N for V.1 thanked her, so I suppose the new one should, too! And thanks to all my readers, and all the people who constantly review (yes, all three of you ). But seriously, people who review make my day, so if you can spare a few seconds to write down your thoughts on my drabbles, please do so!!

Sorry for the babbling, I really don't know what came over me!! Now,on with the drabbles!!

* * *

**13. Future** **Version One**

As Usagi stared at her future husband, all she could think about was how she wished she knew what was going to happen.

'Will he or won't he?' She muttered. This question had plagued her mind for a least the past five minutes. 'Will he notice me?'

As Usagi was trying to contain her angst, the man in front of her, the object of her questioning, was also deep in thought.

'Which one? The brave Sailor Soldier or the helpless girl? I know which one needs me more, but which one do I choose?'

'He has to notice me! All I've done will have been in vain, otherwise! I may as well not have bothered coming here in the first place!'

'The Sailor Soldier will survive on her own for a while… She is an agent of love! I'll choose the girl. No! But what if the Soldier gets hurt? I couldn't bear it! I'll choose the soldier!'

'Come on! Notice me, for crying out loud! Or do I have to shout it out to the world that I'm here, waiting?'

'I pick… the Sailor Soldier!' The man said with an air of finality.

As the man made his decision, Usagi made one of her own. If he wasn't going to notice her on his own, she would give him a reason to notice her!

'MAMORU!' She shouted, as the man in front of her pressed a button on the Sailor V game machine. The moment which she had been waiting for 5 minutes to come, had arrived!

'GAME OVER!' The machine said in a mechanical voice.

'USAGI! What did you do that for? I was just about to save Sailor V!'

'I just wanted you to notice me!' Usagi put on a look of remorse that, together with her puppy dog eyes, almost won over Mamoru's heart. Almost…

'USAGI!' Mamoru yelled, getting up from the game machine chair.

'Yes, Mamoru?' Usagi replied calmly.

As Usagi looked at her future husband, the only thing she could think about was how she wished she DIDN'T know what the future held for her. Unfortunately, with the look on Mamoru's face, she was pretty sure she did.

'USAGI! COME BACK HERE!'

* * *

**Version Two**

Mamoru walked, head down. He was just thinking how odd it was that a certain blond odango-haired teenager hadn't run into him this morning when, without warning, something careened into him. '_Or rather, some__one__'_ he thought, not surprised to see the very girl he had been thinking of sprawled on the ground before him.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I wa- Oh. It's you."

"I must admit, the day always seems so much brighter whenever you run into me." Mamoru sneered sarcastically.

Usagi knew she looked ridiculous, lying on the ground like that. Obviously Mamoru was distracted by something, or he would certainly have made some snide remark about that, too.

"Move, Baka, I'm late!" she exclaimed, trying to get up but only succeeding in falling down again.

Looking down, Mamoru's expression softened. He offered her his hand.

"Would you like some help?"

"I can get up myself, you know!" Usagi snapped disdainfully, looking down at the ground. As she lifted her head, the corners of her mouth rapidly came down into a scowl.

Bending down, Mamoru picked up Usagi's dropped satchel. '_Was she smiling at me just now? _He shook his head_. 'That studying I did last night has taken its toll. I'm seeing things!' _

"Give that back!" Usagi snatched her bag back as she ran past Mamoru. "Great! Now I'm _really _late! Haruna-sensei's going to _kill_ me!"

'_Did he feel that, too?' _Usagi wondered as she hurried on her way to school, casting a quick look back at the man she had left behind. _'I'm sure I felt a tingling sensation when I grabbed my bag. Maybe it was just my imagination…'_

Mamoru could have sworn he felt an electric shock the second Usagi's hand brushed his. _'You really __do__ need more sleep!' _he berated himself, watching wistfully as his Odango Atama ran away from him.

If Mamoru had known how their lives would unfold, he would have had no doubt about the smile. Maybe, if he had any inkling of what their destiny was to be, he would have cherished the tiny thrill her hand had sent through his body when it brushed against his.

And perhaps if he had known what the future had in store for them, he would have paid more attention, and heard the words she whispered as she ran past him, grabbing her bag on the way.

"Mamoru, I'm sorry…"


	14. Closet

**A/N: Hey again all my readers! Well, here's the next drabble in a series that seems to go on forever, and I'm just about one fifth of the way through!! (Writing, that is. Not posting...)**

**Anyway, thanks as always to my amazing Beta Reader Ala Verity, for all her hard work to make my writing good, and to everyone who reads this, and especially to the people who take the time to review!**

**Any criticisms welcome, so please press the little button labelled 'Review'!Thanks and goodbye for now!**

**14. Closet**

"Ready, Mamoru?" Rei whispered to the closed closet door. The room around her was unlit, and shadows from the darkening sky outside crept across the floor.

"Almost," came the muffled reply. "Remind me again, _why_ am I doing this?"

"Because, I bet Minako a _whole_ chocolate milkshake that Usagi would run away screaming, and goodness knows, that girl doesn't need any more sugar in her system!"

"True…" Mamoru replied. "But what's in it for me?"

"You'll get to laugh at Usagi?" Rei took a stab in the dark (so to speak).

"I don't know… All this trouble just for one joke at Usagi's expense?" Mamoru didn't sound convinced. He thought back to the start of it all. _Why_ had he fallen for the old 'could you take a look in my closet' trick anyway?

"But you can tease her about it for weeks after it!" Rei was getting desperate. "And laugh about it forever!"

"Alright…" Mamoru grumbled. "But you owe me big time!"

"Rei! I'm here!" Usagi called from the front door.

"Come in! I'm in the Fire Room!" Rei yelled back.

"You took your time!" Rei fumed as Usagi walked through the doorframe. Then, in a flash, the spark of anger seemed to die within Rei. "Oh well. I'm glad you're here."

Usagi shot a puzzled look towards her. '_What just happened? Rei's anger seemed to just… go. That's odd…'_

"There's something in the closet in my room." Rei continued, a pleading look in her eyes. "Could you take a look please?"

"Um… Ok…"Usagi said, trying to sound braver than she felt. It wasn't often that Rei came to her for help, and she was anxious to prove that she wasn't just a useless crybaby.

Standing tall with a grim expression on her face, Usagi entered Rei's room. The shadows of the early evening cast sinister shadows over everything, and the room was bathed in darkness. Usagi almost cried out when she saw a ghoulish shape coming her way, but it was only a cloud crossing the thinbeam of moonlightin the middle of the floor. Usagi shuddered. Bracing herself, she opened the closet door.

You could have heard a pin drop as Usagi stared, jaw hanging open, at the figure in the closet. Only one thought broke through her stunned daze. 'Oop- '

"_AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH_!"

Usagi ran out of the room screaming, but she didn't stop once she got out of the room.

By the time Mamoru walked out of the closet, shock written on his face, she was already halfway back to her house, still screaming about the 'hideous monster in the closet.'

Back at the Tsukino residence, Usagi was howling into her pillow.

"What happened, Usagi?" Luna asked, concerned. This didn't seem like one of Usagi's normal tear-fits. She actually seemed really scared.

"It was awful, Luna! My worst nightmare. It was… Mamoru…" Usagi sobbed.

Luna glanced at her, puzzled. "But, Usagi, you see him every day…"

"N-no…" Usagi sniffled, "in his _boxers_!"

Luna stifled a snicker as she rubbed against Usagi's side comfortingly.

"Well, you know what they say, Usagi!" she purred reassuringly. "There are only two things you find in closets. Monsters, and…"

"And?" Usagi's head peeked slowly up from her pillow, but a twinkle in her eye betrayed her curiosity.

"Clothes…!" Luna said quickly, her tail twitching. "That's the only two things you will ever find in closets! Nothing else! At all!"

"Luna, you're babbling!"

"I am not!" Luna said curtly, although her cheeks were flushing red.


	15. Mistake

**A/N: Hey everyone!! Thanks so much for sticking around for this long!!**

**I am sorry about the wait, but I got a serious case of Writer's Block and that, coupled with the fact that I have a lot of other stuff happening right now, has made this drabble take a while!! Well, it's here now!!**

**Thanks heaps to Ala Verity, who was an enormous help with this drabble (as always!) and to everyone who reads and reviews!!**

**Please tell me what you think of this one!! It's pretty long (I think it might actually be longer than my oneshot, 'Gomenasai', AND that one includes song-lyrics! (Oops!)) so feel free to tell me to stop waffling on and get to the point. I get that regularly! **

**Oh, and I've had word that if you reviewed version two of 'Future' (while it was a separate chapter) you can't review because it says you already have?? How annoying!! Solution: Send me a PM! Please? I really want to know what you all think!! **

**Thanks!**

**15. Mistake**

Usagi was lying on her bed reading comics when the phone rang.

"Hello! Tsukino residence. Tsukino Usagi speaking."

"Hi, Usako."

The deep, smooth voice made her shiver with delight, even over the phone.

"Hi Mamo-chan!" She managed to keep herself from squealing into the receiver. Just.

"Um… Would you like to go out for dinner tonight?"

Usagi let out a small shriek of delight.

"Er… Are you alright, Usako?"

"Oh, um… Yes, sorry! Sounds fun! Where are we going?"

"The Cooing Dove."

Usagi gasped. Mamoru had named the most expensive restaurant in Tokyo. Couples from around Japan, around the _world_, went to The Cooing Dove for its great food, fast service and romantic atmosphere. And Mamoru wanted to take _her_ there?

"Usagi? Are you still there?"

'Um… O-of course, Mamo-chan. I'd love to! What time?'

'I'll pick you up at around 6.30?'

'Okay. See you then!'

'Bye.'

Usagi looked at her clock as she hung up the phone. "5.30? I've only got one hour?" she wailed, "what am I going to wear!?" Realising that two minutes had already passed while she was crying, Usagi darted to her closet, scolding herself for wasting precious time. No matter how nervous she was, she was determined to make this a night Mamoru never forgot.

An hour later, Usagi settled into the passenger seat of Mamoru's car, carefully arranging her pink satin dress so that it spread delicately around her, falling to her pink-clad feet. Two white bows rested in her shining hair, and a small white handbag was clutched tightly in one hand.

"You look beautiful!" Mamoru gasped, barely able to take his eyes off her to drive. Eventually she had to remind him to look at the road, but every so often she caught him glancing at her sideways.

"Seriously, Mamo-chan, you must have given your driving instructor brain damage!" Usagi yelped as they narrowly avoided_ another_ innocent pedestrian. "No one in their right mind would let you onto the road driving like this!"

"Sorry. I'm just slightly… distracted tonight!"

When they arrived at the Cooing Dove, a tuxedoed waiter came to seat them.

"Chiba, reservations for two," Mamoru calmly stated, and the waiter excused himself.

When he returned, he showed them to a small table in the corner. The cutlery shone in the light of a single candle, the serviettes lay fanned out next to the wine glasses and in the centre, a single red rose stood in a clear glass vase. Looking around, Usagi saw that their table was the only one with such a display of floral decoration, and suspected Mamoru had organised this himself. Smiling, she went to sit down. Unfortunately, she underestimated the distance, and slipped to the floor. Blushing, she reached for the back of the chair to pull herself up, but instead her hand found different support. Smiling gratefully at Mamoru, Usagi took a seat, somewhat more gracefully than last time, a faint blush still visible on her cheeks. Mamoru took his seat, smiling slightly.

"Do you want a drink, Mamo-chan?" Usagi hurriedly asked, fanning her red cheeks. "It's a little warm in here, don't you think?" She reached for the water pitcher.

"Let me get that for you, Usako!" Mamoru reached for the pitcher as well, but Usagi had already lifted it off the table. She watched in horror as the pitcher fell to the floor with a loud crash.

The waiter rounded the corner, took one look at Usagi and the watery mess surrounding her, and stopped in his tracks. He was not the only one. Usagi could feel hundreds of eyes watching her, waiting to see what mistake she would make next.

"Don't worry, Madam," the waiter said, quickly regaining his composure, "these things happen. Can I get you a towel?"

Usagi noticed with surprise that her lap was also soaked through.

"Uh… Yes, please!" Usagi tried to make light of the situation, although she knew Mamoru was probably wondering what on Earth had possessed him to bring her of all people here.

"Are you okay?" Mamoru leaned in close so no-one else could hear their conversation.

"I-I'm sorry… I-"

"Are you ready to order yet?" The waiter interrupted, carrying a soft-looking towel, which he handed to Usagi.

"Sure, I'll have the venison ravioli with red wine sauce," Mamoru replied easily.

"And I'll have… what he's having!" Usagi said quickly. She didn't know what venison ravioli was, but she trusted Mamoru. She would stick to what he ate.

Mamoru looked over at Usagi. She was staring at her lap, a sullen look on her face.

"What's wrong, Usako?" he asked gently.

"Do you think you made a mistake?"

Mamoru shot her a puzzled look. "About the ravioli? I'm sure it will be delicious. Ravioli is pretty much the same wherever you go."

"Not that..."

"Then-?"

"About me… And you…" Usagi stumbled over the words that pained her so much to say. What if he said yes, he did regret bringing her here, that she was an embarrassment? What if he was thinking at this very moment that he should have stuck with the take-out in the park, where no one would judge her, judge _him_? What if…

"You and me? What do you mean?" Mamoru asked, gently pushing her chin up so that she was looking directly at him.

"Well, I'm so clumsy, and I'm still in junior high. You must be so embarrassed being seen here with me…"Usagi replied miserably. By this time there were tears in her eyes and pouring down her cheeks to mix with the water on her lap, but she continued:

"You should… Just go… Find someone who you aren't embarrassed to be seen with…"

"Usako," Mamoru interrupted, unconsciously tracing patterns on her hand. The rose of his heart, his world_, _believed that she was unworthy of _him? _He could have almost laughed, but instead he said, shaking his head, "Is that what this is all about? You are everything to me, Usako! I wouldn't care if you couldn't walk a metre without tripping, so long as it kept you falling into my arms. As long as you're with me, I can take on the world, _and _your Dad!" His eyes sparkled, although Usagi couldn't tell if it was from amusement or unshed tears.

With that declaration, Mamoru stood up and, keeping hold of her hand, knelt in front of her.

He didn't care how many people were watching, didn't even notice their prying eyes. He kept his gazed fixed on the only person in the room who mattered.

"Don't you see, Usako? Without you there is no me. There's just a ghost with my name and face."

Looking up at Usagi, Mamoru saw her face light up with a golden smile, 'to match her golden heart,' he thought.

All around them, there was a roar. The sound barely registered in their minds.

"Kiss her! Kiss her!"

Mamoru happily obliged.


	16. Behind the Blue Curtain

**A/N: Hey everyone!! It seems like sooo long since I updated and you know what? I think there might be a reason for that!! Hmmm... Maybe because it IS ages since I've updated?? **

**Anyway, I hope that the long gap has only made you pine more for the long-anticipated Behind the Blue Curtain, (Haha!) and that you'll give me lots of nice feedback!! (Or constructive criticism. I don't mind, as long as I hear from you!) And I am sorry about the wait. It really brings it home how slow you are when you get people sending you PMs asking when you're going to update, so thanks for that everyone!! Without your support and nagging, I wouldn't get anythig at all done!!**

**Thanks as always to my wonderful Ala, who always makes me seem so much better at writing than I actually am!! **

**See you again (hopefully sooner than last time!) **

**Sol** **x**

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16. Behind the Blue Curtain

_Mamoru was in a huge, elegant building. It seemed to be the home of someone extremely important. And rich. Glancing around in awe, he saw marble staircases, crystal chandeliers …_

_Mamoru's eyes stopped on a portrait of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.__Before he could stop them, his feet took two small steps towards the picture, and with a start he released the breath he hadn't known he had been holding._

_The girl's hair was a shiny gold, done up in two odango-styled buns. Her eyes were bright and blue, somehow shining with life even on the canvas. She was wearing a long, white gown that accentuated her perfect figure. Resting on her head was a golden tiara._

'_A princess?' _

_Shaking his head, Mamoru blinked dazedly. He had no idea how long he had been staring at that picture for. Continuing his examination of the room, he saw a big wooden door set into the wall. Curious, he took hold of the polished silver doorhandle, which, he noticed sub-consciously, was worked into the shape of a delicate rose. Pushing the door open, he found himself outside in a courtyard every bit as stunning as the interior had been._

_From a balcony a few floors up, he could see a blue curtain fluttering in the breeze. Behind it, the form of a young woman was silhouetted against the light emanating from inside the window. _

"_Prince Endymion..." she called. Glancing around, Mamoru saw no one she could be referring to apart from himself. He looked down, and was surprised to find his regular clothes had been replaced with a prince's garments, complete with a sword hanging from his belt. _

_Returning his gaze to the window, he noticed a delicate hand pulling at the restraining curtain. _

_Behind it was the princess from the portrait, except the portrait did absolutely no justice to the real woman, with her big, round eyes, eyes of such a blue that the brightest summer sky would be jealous, the full pink lips drawn so readily into a smile, or the coloured cheeks that glowed with life. Mamoru almost cried out in shock. He knew this girl, had seen her somewhere before…_

He was muttering in his sleep. In a torrent of indecipherable words, one word was clearly audible.

"O-Odango?"


	17. Ice cream

**A/N: Hey everyone! Long time no see, eh? I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year (if you celebrate those things) and... Welcome to 2009! This is my first drabble for the year (incidentally, it's also my first for about a year ^_^), and I am really looking forward to publishing lots more in '09 (and possibly also getting around to my other writing, which is also sadly neglected!!) Anyway, just because it's been so long, I made this one extra long for you =]. Okay, so it's actually because I really need to learn some self-control when writing... On that topic(-ish), thanks as always to Ala Verity, my legend of a Beta, and to everyone who may or may not have been hoping in the backs of their minds that I would publish something soon. And if you like it, or hate it, or don't have an opinion on it at all, please send me a review telling me so!!  
Thanks!  
Sol**

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**17. Ice cream**

"Welcome to Seaview Ice Creamery. Free sample?" a girl in a white apron asked, holding out a spoonful of ice cream.  
"Oh, yes please!" Usagi reached for the spoon.  
"And you, Sir?" the attendant asked Usagi's companion, another spoon already in hand.  
"Uh… No, thanks…" Mamoru replied, looking doubtfully at the murky brown slush. To Usagi, he asked reluctantly, "What flavour would you like?"  
"I think I'll have a triple scoop with chocolate, caramel and strawberry in a waffle cone, please. Oh, and could I have M and M'S in the bottom of my cone? And a Flake stuck in the ice-cream? And do you do milkshakes?"  
"Take it easy, Odango! I said an ice-cream, not the whole shop!" Mamoru retorted with an amused glint in his eyes.  
"You said I could have anything I wanted!" Usagi pouted, apparently on the verge of tears. "You said…"  
"Okay! Just don't make a scene! _Stop crying!"  
_That startled everyone in the shop, which Mamoru noticed comprised mostly of couples holding hands.  
"How did she manage to talk me into this?" he wondered aloud, staring at the over-excited blonde.  
"Actually, it was your idea, Mamoru Baka!" Usagi said sweetly, with a smile to match. Cursing, Mamoru realised that she was right.

"_Hey, Odango! Is that a test __there behind your back? What on Earth is it doing there?" Mamoru asked with a wicked grin. "You couldn't be trying to hide it? No, that would imply that you failed, which isn't possible, is it Odango?"  
__Usagi fumed as she ordered her milkshake.  
_"_Don't you think you're a little harsh on that girl?" Motoki asked as Usagi stormed over to a table. "Couldn't you be a bit more… encouraging?"  
_"_Encouraging…?" Mamoru sighed. "Hey, Odango!"  
_"_What?" Usagi yelled from across the arcade.  
_"_I bet you can't get more than 50% on your next test!" he bellowed. Everyone turned to watch. These two were infamous for their shouting matches…  
__And sure enough, Usagi came running over, but instead of an angry look, her face bore a look of excitement.  
_"W_hat do I get if I do?"  
_"_Get?" Mamoru sneered. "How about… an education?"  
_"_Not funny, Baka. There has to be some incentive!"  
_"_Incentive? Big word for you, Odango! Did you have to look it up in the dictionary especially?"  
__Mamoru glanced at Motoki, who was silently mouthing a word. 'Encouraging.'  
_"_I'll buy you an… ice-cream" Mamoru said quickly.  
_"_From anywhere I want?" Usagi asked.  
_"_I guess…"  
_"_Anything I want from any ice-cream shop I want?" Usagi repeated. "No catches?"  
_"_If that's what it takes to get you to use that neglected muscle in your head." Mamoru sighed again, thinking, 'am I really so cruel to her that she doesn't believe I will hold up my end of the bet?'_

"OK, fine!" Mamoru muttered. "Just what she ordered, thanks," he said to the attendant, and handed over the money. He wasn't surprised when he didn't get much change back.  
As the attendant prepared the order, Usagi dragged Mamoru over to a table. He observed that all the tables were set for two only.  
When her order came, Usagi slurped her milkshake eagerly. She had earned these treats fair and square, and it hadn't been easy!

"_Ami-chan! Please could you help me with my Math work?"  
_"_Usagi-chan, I know you aren't exactly mathematician material, but…"  
_"_But what?"  
_"_But we only just had a math exam yesterday, and all likelihood says that we won't have another one for at least two weeks!"  
_"_Exactly! Only two weeks!"  
_"_Errr… Ok… What do you want help with?"  
_"_Everything! I need to get at least 50% on the next test!"  
_"_Usagi? Are you…feeling alright?" Ami asked. She could only imagine what would cause such a turn-around in her friend's attitude.  
_"_I'm fine!" Usagi replied. "Now can we get to work?"_

Mamoru started getting sneaking suspicions about Seaview Ice-Creamery when he noticed the paper serviettes on the table were covered with little pink hearts.  
"Odango, what is this place?"  
"It's an ice-cream shop, Baka!"  
Mamoru indicated the serviettes. "And those?"  
"Well…" Usagi squirmed in her seat, eyes on the floor. "It's sort of… renowned for a romantic atmosphere, buttheyhavegoodicecream!"  
"And why didn't you tell me this before now?" Mamoru's face had taken on a hue reminiscent of the new 'Very Very Berry' flavoured ice cream adorning posters around the shop.  
"I just… wanted a nice ice-cream…" Usagi stuttered, although it wasn't very convincing, even to her own ears.

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**I only just realised this (sort of) but this one really does feature a lot of dialogue, doesn't it? Make sure you tell me if you like it or don't like it, so that I can change things for the future!!! Also, I'm not sure about the format. Is it a bit too 'massive block of writing'? The alternative is a line break in between each line, which I've always thought made it look too spread out, but now I'm thinking it could be the way to go... **


	18. Death

**A/N: Hey everybody!! Guess who is back from yet _another_ hiatus? Hehe, well, I feel really bad that I haven't written in a while, so hopefully this will make up for it, or at least you can vent your pent-up anger telling me everything I did wrong!! ^.^ Sound like fun?? **

**So, as per usual, I would like to thank Ala for making my writing worth reading (as well as encouraging me to get my butt moving in the first place!), and the people who read and review my work, even after months of absolutely nothing!! (And I promise to try and update more often in the future, but good luck trying to make me stick to that!)**

**Thanks, everyone!  
****Sol**

18. Death

Usagi almost ran into the arcade's automatic doors as she pelted to the table where her friends sat, chatting idly.  
"Everyone is going to die!"  
Out of breath, she plonked herself down next to Ami, who had managed to find time out from her homework to join her friends.

"What? Why? Is there a new youma to fight? Where?" Makoto almost fell onto Rei's lap in her haste to prepare herself for battle.  
"Sssh! Keep your voice down!" Ami whispered. "People are starting to stare!" And sure enough, they were getting some strange looks from the people scattered around the arcade. One little boy was so busy staring that he didn't notice the giant red "GAME OVER" flashing across the screen in front of him.  
"No," Usagi lowered her voice a little, "I mean that everyone dies eventually." Her expression was so solemn that her friends almost took her seriously. Almost.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious! And you only just worked that one out?"  
"B-but Rei, you never know when it's going to be your turn! You could be walking along the street, eating an ice-cream, when whoops! Suddenly you're _dead!_"  
"Sssh!" the four girls hissed in unison, Mina adding apologetically to the onlookers, "My friend here just realized her own mortality."

As everyone slowly went back to their milkshakes, conversations, or video games, Usagi frowned thoughtfully, mumbling to herself. Still, she didn't fail to notice the sound of the doors opening again. And somehow, she even knew who was behind them without even glancing at the semi-transparent glass.

"Life's too sh… I mean, Hi Mamoru!" she called out. The table rattled as she jumped up to meet him.  
"What is it this time? Fail another test? Or maybe," Mamoru smirked, "you've finally realized that your hair looks like a couple of dumplings sitting on top of your head?"

Usagi's face crumpled as she fought to hide the scowl that appeared whenever Mamoru made a dumpling joke. Or an exam joke. In fact, just about any joke regarding her would do the trick.  
"I… I just wanted to say hello. That's all!" She smiled brightly, turned, and walked back to her friends.  
'_What was that all about?'_ Mamoru continued to stare at the space that had, until a moment ago, contained Usagi. Shaking his head slightly, he moved towards the safety of the counter and his friend Motoki. It was too late in the day to be musing on the female mind.

**So, what did we think? If you loved it or hated it, let me know! **


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